


The French Dragon: Nathalia Kurtzberg

by Rychan6



Category: American Dragon: Jake Long, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Fem!Nathaniel, Fem!nath, Female Nathaniel, Femnath, Genderbending, Nathaniel is a girl, Rare Pairings, dragon girl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-05-17 03:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14824854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rychan6/pseuds/Rychan6
Summary: Hawkmoth isn't the only threat to Paris; in fact the entire country of France and the rest of the world has a hidden side that few humans know about it. When Ladybug and Chat Noir are busy with Akuma, our shy artist shows a hidden fire that will help protect the country, but will it help get her romance?





	1. Enter the Drogon

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing

It was a cool night in Paris, the moon was high and full. Two figures stand atop of a high building,  
“Remember my hatchling,” an old French women wearing a simple cream-colored dress that has some lace detail on the edge of it. A white cardigan covered her shoulders. Her gray-streaked black hair pulled in a high bun with bangs framing her weathered hazel eyes. “as the next French Dragon you have a responsibility of protecting the magical creatures that reside within Paris. The Huntsclan and Dark Dragon may be gone, but they are not the only dangers that we have to face.”

“I understand Madame,” a young girl stood out in front of the women, her shoulder length red hair softly swaying in the breeze, her bangs covering one her teal eyes. Her red shirt hugged her figure, but her black jacket covered it. “Especially since Hawkmoth is still after the Miraculous.”

The other sighed, “I know that you want to help them, but the Miraculous is a magic that we cannot interfere with, only Ladybug and Chat Noir are able to handle this. The best way to help them is to make sure that Hawkmoth can never discover the magical world, since the akuma can also take over magical creatures.”

The girl clenched her fists against her dark jeans, smoke came out of her mouth as she growled. Angry at the fact that Hawkmoth managed to possess her. “I promise you, Madame, I will make sure that Hawkmoth will never find out about our world, even if it's the last thing I do.”

“Let us hope it won’t be the last thing you do.” the women nodded solemnly, “Come now, Nathalia, it’s late and you have school in the morning.” The 2 walked towards the stairs as rose to the peak of the Eiffel Tower. 

Nathalia groaned, “I’m really hoping that Chloe keeps her ‘unpleasantness’ checked.”

“As do I, my hatchling, as do I.”

Xxxxxxxxxxx 

“Okay, it looks like Ms. Bourgeois is out with a cold today.” Ms. Bustier marked the roll.

Nathalia let out a sigh of relief, yes it may seem mean, but it's not easy coraling magical creatures into calming down when there's an Akuma attack. As Ms. Bustier began her lessons, Nathalia took the time to observe her classmates, quiet and socially awkward she may be, she knows her classmates better than they know themselves. She saw how Ivan was stealing looks at Mylene and constantly patting his pocket.

Nathalia smiled, ‘Looks like he's got a date planned out.’ It was most likely to the concert of Mylene’s favorite band, they’ve been sold out for weeks. She quickly took a few notes before Ms. Bustier could scold her, looking up again she saw Alya was ‘secretly’ updating the Ladyblog from under the desk, chances are it's another theory of Ladybug’s secret identity. Giggling to herself, she went back to her notes, a few doodles scattered the page.

About halfway through the class, Nathalia heard the light flutter of wings. Carefully she whispered, “Eye of the dragon.” Her pupils narrowed as she looked outside from the corner of her (visible) eye. She saw a mail pixie outside, he tapped the glass twice and then flew off.

“um, Ms. Bustier?” she raised her hand.

“Yes?” asked the pretty teacher. 

“um, may I go to the bathroom?” she nervously looked outside of the window for a second.

“Of course, don’t forget to take the hall pass.”

Nathalia quickly stood up and walk down the steps, ignoring the curious looks of her classmates, she took the hall pass and quickly left the room.

Keeping watch as she walked down the hall. She went to one of the windows hidden by the stairs and opened it slightly. A light blue ball flew in and went up to her eye level. “Ms. Kurtzburg?” The mail fairy asked in a comically high-pitched voice.

“Yes?”

“Sign here.” he held up a clipboard for her, after signing it, he gave her an envelope and flew out. Nathalia quickly took a whiff around before opening it.

Her teacher's face appeared in blue lights, “Hatchling, I need you to come straight home after school, we have a tip off of some illegal activity happening later tonight.”As lights faded, a determined look appeared on her face. Taking a deep breath, she breathed out a beautiful blue flame, careful not to activate the smoke alarms, and burned the rest of the envelope. Dusting off her hands, she closed the window and walked back to class, no one aware of what had just happened.


	2. Of Lace Root and Mafia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to StarNinja and Sunflowereevee for kudos and thanks to Josh for commenting

The final bell of the dangers rang and the students quickly left the classroom, Nathalia was collecting her things when she was approached by Rose and Juleka.

“Hey Nathalia!” Rose grinned, “We’re all meeting up at Marinette’s place for an after school snack, want to come?”

Nathalia gave her an apologetic smile, “Sorry Rose, but Madame wants me to come straight home today.”

“Again?” Juleka asked, “I know that Madame Delacour is your guardian and everything, but do you really have to go home now?”

She chuckled, “Maybe next time.” She waived and quickly walked out of the room.

Both of Nathalia’s parents were from dragon families, but coincidentally the dragon gene skipped them, so she ended up with dragon powers. When she was 3 they were ran over by a drunk driver and died in the ER.

Madame Delacour was the French Dragon before she retired and was close friends with the family. They made her Nathalia’s legal guardian if anything happened to them; their relationship with their parents and siblings was a bit strained. She became her Dragon Master when her powers fully developed on her 13th birthday.

Nathalia quickly made her way home, nodding hello to the crossing guard as she passed. 15 minutes later, she she reached a small,cream colored shop; Delacour Antiques written in a rich brown. She stepped inside as a white toy poodle with a pink bow on her ear was switching the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Close’.

“Hey, Simone.” She greeted.

“‘Ello there pup,” she dusted off her paws, her British accent coming through, “let's go.” 

They quickly closed the curtains and walked to the back of the store, Nathalia lightly tapped the snout of a small dragon statue, the eyes glowed a light green and a door opened from the wall. Inside were shelves full bottles, jars, and plants; in the middle of the room was a black cauldron with a pink, bubbling liquid inside.

“Ah, there you are, Hatchling.” The retired dragon stepped away from a dusty bookshelf, carrying a heavy tome. “I apologize for taking you away from spending time with your friends, but this could not wait.” 

Nathalia shook her head, “It’s alright Madame, I know you wouldn't call me unless it was important.” 

Madame Delacour set the tome down on a book stand and stood next to the cauldron, “It’s seems as though the local Ogre Mafia is causing trouble again.”

Simone stood on a step-stool and sprinkled a pale-green powder in the cauldron, a puff of smoke came out of it and an image of an Ogre wearing a pinstripe suit with a fedora. “That's right pup, old Feral Patrovi managed to get his grubby paws on some powdered Lace Root.”

Nathalia tilted her head, “Lace Root?”

Delacour opened the tome and stopped at a page with a beautiful white flower, it's 5 petals having intricately detailed lace patterns. “Lace Root is a magical plant with calming qualities, commonly used for fevers, stress and other ailments. It’s quite harmless by itself.” She turned the page to the root, “The root, however, can easily paralyze a giant if powdered.”

“And the bloody walker got himself 3 barrels of that stuff and is trying to smuggle it in to sell on the black magic market.” Simone explained.

Nathalia’s (visible) eyes narrowed, “So what's the plan?”

“The first step is to secure the powder,” Delacour took out a long rope that looked like platinum blonde hair braided together, “Unicorn hair can nullify the powder effects; as long as this rope is around it, the powder will not affect you.”

Nathalia nodded, “What's the next step?”

“The next step is to take them to the drop off point.”

Simone pulled out a map of Paris and pointed at the Seine, “The barrels will be under the bridge leading to the Eiffel Tower at 11 p.m. Patrovi will be there an ‘our later to pick them up,” she dragged her finger to the area marked ‘Musee des Egouts de Paris’ “You will need to get the barrels before he shows up and then drop them off at the Paris Sewer Museum (actual place), my mate Lily works there and will be able to get the barrels to the magic clean up crew to be disposed of.”

Nathalia nodded and looked back at Madame Delacour, “The you will fly back and ambush Patrovi; remember to be very careful, Ogres are extremely strong and can be quite ruthless.”

“I understand Madame, I promise to be careful.”

Xxx 11pm xxX

Nathalia was carefully stationed by the bridge, her dark clothes successfully blending into the night, sea-colored eyes narrowed into narrow slits. She saw a boat manned by 2 dwarves approach the underside of the bridge and unloaded the 3 barrels before hightailing it out of there.

“Go time,” she whispered, “Dragon Up!”

Her body was suddenly engulfed in a beautiful blue flame, her form growing and shifting; the flames cleared and in the place of a pretty teenage girl, was a beautiful dragon.

A large slim, yet strong body covered in a combination of scales and feathers, her belly was a deep, deep red. Four wings sprouted from her back, dark gray feathers tipped in a blood red, her tail tip matching them. Her ears were delicately shaped and feathered as well, her hair was brushed back, framing her delicate dragon face, both eyes visible.

Letting out a strong roar, she stretched her wings and went up to the sky. Quickly making a loop, she dived under the bridge and landed next to the barrels. She pulled out the special rope and tied them together, then she carefully hovered over them and lifted them up, her four wings helping to get them higher and higher into tears night sky, flying towards the museum.

She kept an eye out for Patrovi’s grunts and more importantly Ladybug and Chat Noir, while magical creatures have a glamour that lets them blend in, it’s not very stable if someone is aware of magic or have magical items.

Nathalia landed right in front of the museum, she gently knocked the doors and a large women came out. She had long blue hair and wore black square glasses, “Nathalia?”

“Yeah, are you Lily?”

The lady took off her glasses, revealing a single eye, “You betcha,” she took the barrels inside, “I’ll take these over to the cleanup crew, ya better get back to the bridge before Patrovi gets there.”

Nathalia nodded and flew back and hid close to the bridge, careful not to reveal any part of herself. 

Once it hit 12, she heard the water shift, “Come on! Put your backs into it!” Peeking out she saw Patrovi on a rowboat, his grunts doing the paddling.

Quietly she moved close to the bridge as the went to the underside. “Ah, boss?” one of the grunts raised his hand, “Where’re the barrels?”

Patrovi growled, “They were supposed to be here!”

“Aw, would you like me to help you look for them?”

“Actually that sou- wait!” he looked up in surprise; Nathalia’s arms were crossed over her chest, a smug look on her face, “The French Dragon!”

“Miss me, Patrovi?”

“Get her!” Patrovi’s grunts made a grab for her, she quickly crouched down causing them to crash into each other. She swung her tail, knocking them into the bushes. Patrovi growled as she turned towards him with a smirk.

“So hard to find good help these days, right?” she got into position to attack until.

“My Lady, do you hear that?”

‘Damn it , it's Chat!’ Nathalia swore.

Using her distraction, Patrovi made his way to the grunts and began running off, “Don't think that this is over French Dragon!”

Nathalia growled as she looked into the direction he ran.

“Over here!” She gasped and quickly changed back to her human form, she looked behind her and saw Ladybug and Chat Noir landing next to her.

“Hey there!” Chat grinned.

Ladybug waived hello, “Everything OK here?”

“Y-yeah.” She stuttered

Chat looked at her curiously, “What are you doing here at this time of night?”

“Oh, ah,” Nathalia forced a sheepish smile on her face, “My insomnia was acting up, so I went for walk to tire me out.”

“That's must suck,” Ladybug commented, “want us to take you home?”

Nathalia frantically waived her hands and shook her head, “N-no it’s ok, I-i can get back on my own.” She turned around and walked away, “Ah, ‘night.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other, not sure on what had just happened.

When she was a safe distance away, Nathalia turned back into a dragon and flew the rest of the way home. “Not looking forward to explaining this to Madame.”


	3. Of Group Chats and Magic Markets Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathalia need advice from far away friends and Marinette wants to get close to the artist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone had an idea on how to recreate the theme to suit Nathalia, let me know

It was a nice Saturday morning, and we find our resident superheroine drawing designs in her room. Her computer was playing the news but her mind was elsewhere, “Nathalia was acting really weird last night.”

Tiki looked up from nibbling on a cookie, “What do you mean, Marinette?”

Marinette twirled the pencil between her fingers, “She seemed jumpier than usual. I know that she’s a shy girl, but it looked like she was hiding something.”

Tiki flew up to pat her hair, “I’m sure she was just nervous, remember,the last time she interacted with you guys, she was akumatized.”

Marinette cringed, “Yeah, that must have been the worst birthday ever.” She still felt a little guilty for tricking Nathalia, all she wanted was to hang out with her for her birthday and she just had to ruin that. To be honest, Marinette still felt flattered that Nathalia admired her so much.

“You know you can still make it up to her.”

“What do you mean Tiki?”

Tiki flew around her head and giggled, “You're looking for a new model, you can ask Nathalia to wear your designs, that way you can get closer and know her better.”

Marinette smiled, “You’re a genius, Tiki!” she turned to a blank in her sketchbook, “Nathalia’s a really pretty girl, this might help her self confidence.”

As she began designing, news anchor Nadja Chadick had a picture of a certain prince of Achu on the screen, “In other news, Prince Ali is returning to Paris to continue his studies, where he will be staying is currently unknown”

Xxxx

Our draconic artist was in her room, currently working on a painting. She had green smudge on her cheek and a hint of white in her hair, she sighed, setting her brush down.

***Flashback***

“It’s alright, Hatchling.” Madame Delacour patted her head. Nathalia had returned from the park, her shoulders slumped in defeat. “We can catch Patrovi at a later date. The important thing is that he doesn't have the Lace Root.”

“Y-yes Madame.”

***Flashback***

She carefully cleaned her brushes as she thought to herself, ‘I need do better, if I was just a little bit faster I could’ve taken him down before they showed up.’

She placed her brushes in a white ceramic cup that had ‘I ♥ New York’ written on it, an idea suddenly popped in her head. She looked at her wall clock, “12 o'clock.” She went towards her desk and fired up her computer, clicking on the group chat shortcut. Three rings and the screen divided into four separate windows.

“Yo, Nathalia, what's up?!” a chinese boy wearing red smiled brightly at her.

“How's it hanging Nathy?” An African-American girl held up a hand in greeting.

“Greetings Nathalia.” laughed a brunette boy wearing a beanie.

“Nathalia, great to see you.” A pretty blue-eyed blonde girl smiled.

“Hey Jake, Trixie, Spud, Rose, how are you doing?” Nathalia smiled.

Nathalia met these colorful characters when Madame Delacour took her to New York for spring break. She met the retired Chinese Dragon Luong Lao Shi and was introduced to his grandson Jake Long, The American Dragon. She was very shy at first, but Jake has a way of making people open up and soon enough they became great friends. He introduced her to Spud and Trixie and they taught her the joys of skateboarding, he even video chat his girlfriend in Hong Kong so they could meet. It was nice to meet people who understood the magical side of the world.

They kept in touch when she left New York and now she is fluent in English and Mandarin, she’s also fluent in Japanese, easier to read manga without waiting for the translation.

“So Nathy, tell us what's up, girl.”

Nathalia sighed, “Last night, I was about to catch the head of the ogre mafia when Ladybug and Chat Noir showed up and he got away. Now I need to wait for Simone to get a tip off.”

“Woah, that sucks dude.” Spud gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Yeah, so I was wondering, Jake, if you had any advice for handling him.”

Jake thought for a minute, “Well, usually the ogres I have to deal with are kind of slow, so what I usually do won't work on Patrovi.”

“I see…” Nathalia looked dejected.

“You, Nathy, can't you use some of that Lace Root to freeze that Mafia wannabe?” Trixie asked

“I can't, Madame says that stuff can be really dangerous, especially if accidently breathe fire close to it.”

“I might have an idea,” Rose smile, “I remember something from the Huntsclan, about a special freezing potion that only affects ogres. The Huntsmaster didn't use it since it's harmless.”

“I'll ask Fu if he knows anything about it.” Jake gave her a thumbs up.

Nathalia smiled in relief, “Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.”

“On a unrelated note, you might want to the paint off your face.” Spud pointed to the green smudge on her cheek.

Nathalia blushed, touching the smudge, she giggled. The others chuckled with her, yeah, friends like these are nice to have around.

Xxxx

“So this is it?” Marinette looked up at the shop front.

Alya checked her phone, “Yep, Juleka and Rose say that this is the place.”

The two walked in the store, a little bell jingling.

“Wow.” Marinette gasped, the was dark mahogany shelves filled with old statues, vases, books, and music boxes. There were glass tables of the same wood that held old jewelry and a few weapons. The walls were a light cream color, with antique clocks, paintings and other type of weapons. Marinette could feel the inspiration hit her like a lightning bolt.

“Woof.” They looked down and saw Simone looking up at them.

“Aw, how cute.” Alya cooed.

“Simone? Is that a customer?” Madame walked in with the elegance and poise of french aristocrat from the victorian era, Marinette watched her in amazement. “ Ah, hello girls. May I help you?”

Alya elbowed Marinette in gut, snapping her out of her surprised stupor, Tiki giggled from the bag, “Yeah, we're looking for Nathalia?”

Madame Delacour looked at them for a moment, “Oh, you must be her classmates.”

Marinette nodded, “Yeah, I'm Marinette and this is Alya .”

“Welcome girls,” Delacour smiled, “Nathalia’s taking a shower right now, you can wait for her in her room.”

“Thank you Madame.”

She led them to the conjoined apartment, “Her room is up the stairs, first door on the left.”

As the two walked up, Alya gave a smirk to Marinette, “Take a picture, it'll last longer.”

Marinette blushed, “Oh like you can talk, besides, can you blame me for it? I never expected her to be so elegant our the the shop to be beautiful.”

“I guess you have a point, I expected it to be one of this dusty type of antique places, like in the movies.”

The two opened the door and were once again amazed, the room was painted a seafoam green, her floor were of a darker shade and tiled. A dark blue carpet in the middle of the room. Her walls held all sorts of posters and paintings, no doubt ones that she made herself. A dark brown shelf was in a corner, holding reference books, novels and manga, a little drawing model was positioned sitting on the edge, a desk of the same color was positioned under a large white window. Her bed was the same model as Marinette’s only white, above it was a hatch door most likely leading to the roof.

“Whoa, this room is awesome.” Alya commented, admiring the paintings.

“You can say that again.” Marinette then noticed and iesle with a drape over it, ‘Is that one not done?’

“Nathalia must really like mythology, most of these are of magical creatures.” Sure enough, Alya was right, the paintings were all of magical creatures.

One of was a brunette mermaid sitting on a large black rock, another was a group of fairies playing in an oak tree, but the one that really caught her eye was above the bed. It was of two dragons in what looks like a nest with a dark gray egg with a red bottom. One was a dark gray with a black spine, four wings stretched towards the sun, bright teal eyes looked at the egg with love. The other dragon was a deep red, covered in fluffy feathers, ears were delicately shaped. Dark brown eyes also looked at the with love, the two were leaning against each other, tails wrapped around the egg.

Alya noticed the painting and smiled, “Guess she's a bit of a romantic too.”

“It's beautiful.” Marinette sighed wistfully.

“That means a lot, coming from you.”

The two jumped in surprise and turned around. Nathalia came threw the door, toweling off her hair. A black tank top hugged her curves as blue gym shorts showed off beautiful dancer legs. Taking off the towel, she brushed back her hair, both teal eyes were visible. She tucked a lock of hair back, “That one was is a personal favorite.”

“Nathalia.” Marinette breathed, having never seen the redhead in anything other than her usual clothes.

Nathalia stood next to her, looking at her painting with loving eyes. “I based those two off of my parents.”

“Your parents?” Alya inquired .

“Yeah, the red one is my mom and the grey one is my dad.”

“They seem like wonderful people.” Marinette smiled, happy to see another side of the artist.

Nathalia looked at the two, “So what brings you guys her?”

“Well,” Marinette rubbed the back of her neck, “I was wondering if you would be my model.”

Nathalia dropped her towel in surprise, “Me? A-a m-model?”

“Yeah, I have a few new ones that will look amazing on you.”

“B-but why me?! I'm not attractive, I don't know the first thing about modeling!”

“C’mon Nathalia,” Alya swung an arm around her neck, “have you seen yourself? You are perfect for the job.”

“Please Nathalia?” Marinette clasped her hands together and pouted.

Nathalia close her eyes, trying to resist before sighing in resignation, “Alright,I'll do it.”

“Yes!” Marinette hugged her, “I promise that you'll look amazing.” She stood back and took out a pink measuring tape, “now I just need your measurements.”

Nathalia quickly covered her chest wearily, “T-that's not really necessary.” She heard a click and saw Alya locking the door with a knowing smirk.

“Don't worry Nathalia,” she turned around and saw a dark aura surrounding Marinette, “this will only take a second.”

Nathalia was frozen as she watched Marinette get closer and closer, “Kyaaaaaaa!”

Delacour and Simone were down stairs sorting the shop, “Think the pup will alright?”

“I'm sure she will be fine.”

***A Few Minutes Later***

Nathalia was crouched in the ground, a depressed aura surrounded her, clutching her chest. Marinette had a happy aura, the measuring tape around her neck as she wrote in her notebook. “Alright I have everything I need right now.” She sent a blinding smile towards her. “Thanks, Nathalia.”

Nathalia shivered, “Y-you're welcome.”

There was a knock on her door, “Girls,” Delacour called out, “would you like some tea?”

The three sat I the dining room, a pretty white tea set with blue dragon designs was in the middle of the table, a plate of sweets next to it.

Nathalia drank in a practiced sophisticated manner as the other two looked at the other paintings in the house.

“I'm guessing that Nathalia painted those too?” Alya pointed out.

“You’re correct.” Delacour answered, setting down another plate of sweets, “I keep telling Nathalia to enter the local completions but she refuses.”

“Why?” asked Marinette

“The same reason why your uncle was akumatized.”

**“Chloe.”**

“Exactly.” Nathalia set her cup down, “Chloe may not be the official judge, but her dad is. As long as he listens to her, I'll never have a win. She'll just humiliate me again.”

Marinette winced, that really was a bad day for the artist.

“Don't worry, we'll find out a way to keep Chloe out of it.”

Nathalia rested her finger on her pink plump lip and tilted her head, “You think so?”

“And when we do, you'll win for sure.” Marinette smiled encouragingly.

Nathalia gave her a surprised look before giving an extremely beautiful smile, “Thanks you two.”

They made small talk for a few hours before the two had to get moving. Delacour waived them out, “Come back anytime girls.”

**“Thanks, Madame Delacour!”**

“So,” Alya began, “I'm guessing we're stopping by the fabric store?”

“You know it,” Marinette gave her a determined look, “The Nathalia we just saw was a confident one, I want everyone to see how beautiful she really is.”

Aya chuckled, “That's what i thought.”

Tiki smiled, still hidden in the bag, ‘I know you can do it Marinette.’


	4. Of Group Chats and Magic Markets Pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Grimmnoir, i try to update at least every 2 weeks but it sometimes takes longer since i first write in a notebook before typing everything

Nathalia sighed as Delacour came back inside, “Was not expecting that today.”

Simone picked up the tea set and walked to the kitchen, “C’mon, pup, it was a nice surprise.”

“I guess, though, i can do without the measuring,” she shuddered, “she looked way to eager when she did it.”

“It just mean that she is passionate, hatchling,” Delacour smiled knowingly, “Now, I assume that Lao Shi found the potion ?”

Nathalia smirked and held up a piece of folded paper. “Jake just sent me the recipe, i’ll be heading towards the Marché Magique for the ingredients”

“Good, I trust you can take care of it on your own?”

“You can depend on me.”

* * *

 

Nathalia made her way into the subway car, deciding to with a grey hoodie and black shorts to not draw any attention to herself. She flipped up the hoodie and pulled out her phone.

**The Amdrag: You got the List?!**

**ArtsFlame: Yep, on my way to get the ingredients.**

**The Amdrag: Awesome, good luck F.D.**

She grinned as she pocketed the phone, then it was gone when her nose began to twitch, carefully she stuck out her forked tongue and immediately recoiled it, ‘Blegh! Hairspray, way to much perfume, lemons and arrogance, definitely Chloe.’

True enough, the blonde was sitting diagonally from her, talking loudly on her phone. “Can you believe what Marinette told me on Thursday? ‘You should do your own work.’ Why would i do that when i can just pay some nerd to do it for me.” She laughed loudly, annoying the other riders, but no one said anything as they recognized her as the Mayor’s daughter. The train stopped and she got up to get off, when a Nathalia got a mischievous idea. She morphed her tail and carefully maneuvered it through the crowd and placed it in Chloe’s way, then, when Chloe got close enough, she swiped it, Chloe falling forward and landing face first with a loud thud. The doors quickly closed and the subway car began moving before she could register what happened, Nathalia quietly giggled as she willed away her tail.

After a few minutes, the car emptied until Nathalia was the only one inside. She looked into the operator’s window and nodded to the raven-haired woman, the woman returned the nod and took of her cap, her bob grew out and her skin turned pink. She pushed one of the buttons and the wall in front of them opened, the subway car quickly pulled forward, the wall closed once the made it through.

Nathalia waived her thanks to the operator before taking a breath and stepping off. The Marché was as colorful as ever, bright stalls filled with all kinds of goods and creatures of all kinds greeting each other and exchanging products. Nathalia brushed back her hood and her bangs so both her eyes were visible.

She made her way to a stall with a dark purple tarp over it, greeting creatures as she walked. She stopped and pulled a rope connected to a black bell and rang. “Nathalia,” a smooth, velvet-like voice purred, “What a lovely surprise.”

Nathalia turned her head and smiled, “Hello, Maarit.”

A beautiful pale-skinned woman with deep purple eyes smiled flirtatiously at her. Her long black hair was tied in a high ponytail, a mole under her left eye. A pale blue blouse hugged her figure and showed off slim shoulders, but her most striking feature was the black snake tail that was her lower body. “What brings you to my humble stall?”

Nathalia gaver her the list, “I need these ingredients for a potion, if you have them.”

Maarit took the list and checked it, smirking when she finished, “I can get you these no problem, just give me a moment.”

 

xxxA few minutes laterxx

Nathalia hugged a brown paper bag filled with plants and jars, “Thanks, Maarit. We can always count on you for ingredients.”

“My pleasure,” she cupped Nathalia's face and placed a finger on her plump pink lips, “Anything for the captivating French Dragon, just let me know if I can be of further service to you.”

Nathalia gave her a nervous chuckle, “Well, uh, thanks again.” she got out of the snake-woman’s grip and quickly walked back to the subway car. Once inside and let out a sigh, “That Maarit is always such a flirt, but she does have the best ingredients.”

Soon she was above ground, the sky was already dark and he street lamps are on. She was about to turn the corner to her street when a loud clang came from a dark alley, she saw something moving and was about to move closer to take a look when it jumped out at her. The figure was a large man wearing a black ski mask, he held a knife in his hand and had a dangerous look in his eye. “Don’t move, sweetheart.”

Nathalia clenched her teeth, ‘Damn it, this guy’s human, i won’t be able to do anything right now.’

The man grinned. “Now, be a good little girl and hand over-” WHACK! The man crumbled to the ground.

“You okay?” Nathalia looked up from the man and say bright green eyes walking out of the darkness.

“Chat Noir! Yeah, i’m fine, just a little surprised.”

Chat Noir hummed, he poked the man to make sure he was unconscious and looked back to her, “So is your insomnia acting up again or is there another reason for you being out her when it’s dark.”

Nathalia looked at him with a shocked expression before giving him another strained smile, “Oh no, I was just running some errands when I lost track of time.”

Chat Noir didn’t looked convinced but decided to drop it for now, “Ok, do you need me to walk you home? This guy won’t be going anywhere.”

“No need, my place is just down this street.” She pointed to the shop at the end.

Chat studied her for a moment before relenting, “Alright, just be a little more careful next time, ok?”

Nathalia nodded, “Yeah, sure, no problem. Uh, Thanks for the save.” she waived him goodbye before hurrying down the street and quickly went inside. Closing the door she slid to the floor with and let out a breath of relief. “If this keeps up, I won’t be able to keep them from finding out the truth. I need to be more careful around those two, even if they are Adrien and Marinette.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes she knows who Ladybug and Chat Noir are, remember lizards can taste the air around them and Ladybug and Chat Noir taste the same as Marinette and Adrien


	5. Of Princes and Explanations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own the theme song

In the alleys of the Marché Magique, we once again find Patrovi with his goons packing large crates in the back of a truck. “C’mon, c’mon, we need to get these outta here pronto!!”

 

What's in her boys?” One of the goons grunted.

 

“They're Huntsclan weapons that managed to survive. Lot of collectors will pay a pretty penny for this stuff.”

 

“Too bad you won't be able to see that pretty penny.” A familiar voice smirked. They all looked up and saw Nathalia’s dragon form looking  down on them.

 

“Run for it!!” Patrovi exclaimed. The goons all dropped the crates and ran off in different directions.

 

“Not so fast boys!” She quickly swooped down and grabbed a bottle that was attaches to her hip by a rope. Uncorking it and flipped it over, splashing the running goons with a thick purple liquid, freezing them in place. She did a quick flip in the air and repeated the process to the rest of the goons, cornering Patrovi before he could get away again.

 

“Now then Patrovi, we can do this the easy way or the hard and painful way.” Nathalia cracked her knuckles to emphasize her point.

 

*a few minutes later*

 

Nathalia was flying in the Paris night sky with a relieved smile on her face, a few agents from the council came and took Patrovi away along with the goons. The huntsclan weapons were destroyed and all her homework was finished for the week. “Nothing like a night of butt-kicking to make a girl relax.”

 

She flew past the Eiffel Tower and landed on the shop’s roof, “Night’s like these make it worth being the French Dragon.” She turned back into her human form and brushed back a stray strand of hair, when---

 

CLANG!!!!

 

Nathalia’s eyes widened in shock, she quickly turned around and jumped back a step, her breath caught in her throat.

 

Staring at her with wide eyes was Chat Noir, completely frozen in shock, his staff rolling on the ground. “Nathalia Kurtzberg… is a… dragon…” He trailed off, not able to fully comprehend what he saw.

 

“And Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste!” She immediately replied, quickly covering her mouth when she realized exactly what she said. The two stared at each other in an awkward and tense silence when the heard the latch door open.

 

“Oi pup, Delacour wants… to…”

 

Simone paused as two pairs of eyes looked back at her, one pair looking like they were about to have a complete meltdown, “Oh, bloody hell!”

 

**~She’s cool, she’s hot like the frozen sun,~**

 

**~She’s young and fast, she our only one,~**

 

**~People we’re not bragging, she’s the French Dragon,~**

 

**~She’s going to stop her enemies with her dragon power,~**

 

**~Dragon teeth, dragon tail, burning dragon fire,~**

 

**~A real livewire,~**

 

**~The French Dragon (Dragon up!)~**

 

**~The French Dragon~**

 

**~She’s the French Dragon (Freefly with the dragon)~**

 

**~Her skills are getting faster,~**

 

**~With Delacour the master,~**

 

**~Her destiny will walk up streets,~**

 

**~Show time baby, for the legacy!~**

 

**~The French Dragon~**

 

**~(Jake and friends: From the N to the A to the T-H-Y! She’s the mach-mommy dragon of the Paris sky!)~**

 

**~French Dragon~**

 

**~(Delacour: Nathalia, we have another Akuma!)~**

 

**~French Dragon~**

 

**~(Nathalia: Aww man!)~**

 

The two teenagers found themselves in the living room, a tea set was in-between them, Adrien was staring blankly at his tea cup while Plagg was scarfing down on camembert. Nathalia sat across of them, her head in her hands, a depressing aura surrounded her.

 

Adrien looked up at her, “So you’re a dragon,”

 

nod

 

“you’re currently in training to be the protector of the French magical world…”

 

nod

 

“and you’ve known that I have been Chat Noir since you’ve been Akumatized…”

 

Another nod.

 

“Kid, you’ve been asking the same questions for the past ten minutes already.” Plagg swallowed another piece of cheese.

 

“You’re awfully calm about this Plagg,” a tick mark appeared on his head, “Did you know about this?!”

 

“I knew she was magical, not that she was a dragon.”

 

Adrien clenched his fist and was about to yell at him when Delacour walked in, “I spoke with the council.”

 

“And?” Adrien noticed how Nathalia's voice quivered in fear.

 

“You’re not in trouble,” her shoulders sagged in relief, “the council believes that this may be a good thing.”

 

“Why’s that?” Adrien asked.

 

“You know how Prince Ali is coming to Paris, correct?” the two nodded, “The main reason is that is for him to learn about the magical world, and we’ve been entrusted to teach him. Seeing as how young Agreste knows about you know, we can teach the both of them.”

 

“Only if he agrees, though.” Simone added.

 

Adrien thought for a moment, being Chat Noir has not only given him freedom, it gave him a chance to make friends. Now he has another chance to expand that freedom, plus he'll have someone he can be himself with, someone else who understands the weight of a secret. Sure he has Ladybug, but even then they’re keeping secrets from each other. He looked back at Delacour and gave her a determined nod.

 

Delacour smiled, “Perfect, come back here after school, and don’t worry about your father, i’ll have a WORD with him.” She turned and walked back out, Simone trailed after her.

 

“She knows my Father?”

 

“Madame was the University Fashion Design Professor, she specialized in historic clothing but her technique is flawless. You’re dad studied under her.”

 

Adrien looked back at Nathalia, surprised that she decided to speak again, “You can ask her for stories about him, she has tons on her students.”

 

He smiled, now he has a chance to really know his father.

 

“Well, that was good cheese,” Plagg burped, “but we need to get going.”

 

Adrien sighed and set the tea cup down, he really didn’t want to go back to a quiet mansion. Nathalia looked at him, her cheek on her palm, her elbow on her knee, “Hey, Adrien,” he looked back and saw a smile appear on her face, “How about I show you the dragon’s eye view of Paris.”

Xxxxx

 

“Woah!” Adrien was perched on Nathlia’s back, Plagg safely tucked in his shirt collar, taking in the view.

 

It was a very clear night, the city below was shining with different lights, the night sky above them was breathtaking, the stars twinkled and the moon was full and bright.

 

“Pretty amazing, huh?” Teal eyes looked back at the blonde, a soft smile on her face.

 

“Yeah,” he whispered, closing his eyes to feel the wind on his face. It was so much like being Chat Noir but so different, he could feel and hear her four wings flapping, the warmth of her dark colored scales. Plagg’s small movements ticking his neck.

 

“Alright, I’m dropping you off at a building that is close to your house, I don’t know the security systems blind spots yet so I can’t risk it.”

 

“Got it, wait, what do you mean by ‘yet’?”

 

“Hang on!” Nathalia quickly dived down, the descent picked up Adrien’s clothes, Plagg held on tightly to keep from flying off. They got closer and closer to the roof of a building before she spread out her wings and slowed them down, landing lightly and quietly. “Thank you for flying Dragon Airlines, please watch your step as you disembark.”

 

Adrien laughed as he hopped off, his clothes were ruffled, his hair was blown back, but there was a huge smile on his face.

 

“Remind me to install seat belts on her.” Plagg groaned, wobbly floating up next to him. The two laughed, Adrien cleared his throat when he finished, “Thanks for the flight, Nathalia.”

 

“No prob,” she flexed her wings, “now I need to get back before someone else decides to drop in.”

 

“Yeah.” Adrien nervously rubbed the back of the head.

 

“Before I forget,” she handed him a piece of paper, grabbing it, he unfolded it and saw it was a phone number, “Give me a call if you just want to talk, i’ll add you to a group chat with a few friends that know about the magical world.”She turned around and in one flap of her wings, she was up in the air, gently gliding back home.

 

Adrien stared at her flying form, carefully holding the paper, “Plagg?”

 

“Yeah kid?”

 

“Have any of the previous Chat Noirs encountered dragons like Nathalia?”

 

“Kid, one of them got **married** to a dragon.”

 

Xxxx Next day Xxx

 

Nathalia was in the back of the classroom again, doodling in her sketchbook. Her nose twitched, looking up she saw Adrien and Nino walked in laughing. As they sat down, Adrien sent her a discreet wink, Nathalia returned it with a smirk.

 

The rest of the class walked in one-by-one, Rose and Juleka waived hello before taking their  seat, Alix walked up to her, gave her a fist bump and then went to her seat. Chloe and Sabrina walked in next, Chloe bragging about going to some sort of party this weekend.

 

After the rest of the class trickled in, Ms. Bustier greeted everyone, “Good morning everyone.”

 

“Good morning, Ms. Bustier.”

 

“Before we start I would like to introduce a new student that will be joining us today.” The pretty teacher gestured to the open door.

 

A handsome, teenage boy walked in. He had nice caramel colored skin, smooth black hair was combed back, a stubborn strand stuck to his forehead. He held himself in a regal way but Nathalia could see a fun loving spirit in those olive green eyes.

 

“Prince Ali has decided to join us to continue his studies, so I would like everyone to help him get settled.”

 

“Yes Ma’am.”

 

“Now, why don’t you take a seat next to Nathalia?”

 

Ali quickly walked up and took a seat, “Hello.”

 

“Hi.” She forced a light blush to appear on her face, keeping up the act of being a shy girl. As Ms. Bustier began class, Nathalia wrote something in her notebook and slid it in his line of vision.

 

_‘I trust that your mother and tutor have told you what you will **actually** learn about?’_

 

Ali quickly wrote in his own notebook and slid it to her.

 

_‘Of course, Ms. Apprentice.”_

 

_‘Perfect, Adrien and I will meet you at the school entrance when classes are over. Madame will be waiting for us with your tutor.”_

 

_‘Adrien?’_

 

_‘He’s the blonde-haired boy sitting in the front row, Madame also decided to teach him too.’_

 

_‘Looking forward to it.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For art on Nathalia, please visit my tumbler
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tantei-chan01


	6. Of Conversations and Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short but this is just to give an insight of Delacour and Gabriel's relationship.
> 
> I own nothing

**~She’s cool, she’s hot like the frozen sun,~**

 

**~She’s young and fast, she our only one,~**

 

**~People we’re not bragging, she’s the French Dragon,~**

 

**~She’s going to stop her enemies with her dragon power,~**

 

**~Dragon teeth, dragon tail, burning dragon fire,~**

 

**~A real livewire,~**

 

**~The French Dragon (Dragon up!)~**

 

**~The French Dragon~**

 

**~She’s the French Dragon (Freefly with the dragon)~**

 

**~Her skills are getting faster,~**

 

**~With Delacour the master,~**

 

**~Her destiny will walk up streets,~**

 

**~Show time baby, for the legacy!~**

 

**~The French Dragon~**

 

**~(From the N to the A to the T-H-Y! She’s the mach-mommy dragon of the Paris sky!)~**

 

**~French Dragon~**

 

**(Delacour: Nathalia, we have another Akuma!)**

 

**~French Dragon~**

 

**(Aww man!)**

* * *

 

Gabriel Agreste was a no nonsense man, there are very few people he can honestly say terrify him. Emille when she was pregnant and his old design teacher Professor Delacour, who, by the way, was sitting in front of him, elegantly sipping tea like she usually does. “Come now, Gabriel,” her voice light and teasing, “no need to be so stiff, a mannequin has a more relaxed demeanor than you.” Yep, he was terrified right now.

“Forgive me, Professor,” he coughed, unable to shake off her former title, “but you don’t usually make visits without notifying me first.” 

“I suppose not, but this a different matter,” setting her cup down, she gave him a very familiar expression. Her face was blank but her eyes held a glint, something that meant that you were in big trouble. “Gabriel, I have left you alone after you graduated from my class, despite my worry of your poor people skills.” That’s an arrow to the heart. “I left you alone after you got married, after the birth of Adrien, but I regret leaving you alone after Emille,” He tensed, Delacour closed her eyes, “I regret leaving you alone when you needed support-”

“I NEVER NEEDED SUPPORT!!” He stood enraged, “YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LOSE-” He stopped, her eyes were opened, full of pain, sorrow and most of all disappointment. “I’m sorry.” He looked away, ashamed. 

“Do you truly believe that I don’t know what it’s like to lose someone precious to you? What it’s like to raise a child on your own?”

“I don’t,” he whispered, “You know that loss more than anyone.”

Delacour looked at the pictures hanging in his office, one stood out to her. It was an old one, judging by the camera quality, five people were smiling together. Gabriel looking much more relaxed than he does now, Emille standing next to him, hugging his arm smiling with her eyes closed. A red-haired women smiled softly, a pair of ballet shoes were slung over shoulder, brown eyes were soft and warm. A blonde haired man was grinning next to her, teal eyes full of mischief. An arm was wrapped around the redhead, the other holding a music book. Delacour stood in the middle of the four, looking younger but still having an air of elegance.

“How is she?” He asked, softly.  

Delacour smiled fondly, “A lovely combination of the two, shy in front of the others but a spitfire to those she is close to.”

“I see.” 

“She’s the one who noticed Adrien’s want to be a normal teenager.”

Gabriel sat down, silently.

“Gabriel, I know that you love him, I know that you just want to protect him, but you’re doing more harm than good.”

He clasped his hands together, “How did you do it? After the accident.”

Delacour eyes began to mist, lost in memory. “Everything was dark, Nathalia was so young at the time. Not understanding that her parents were never going to come back. I admit, I wanted to hide her from the world, but as I saw her growing up, I couldn’t do that to her or to Amelia and Nicholas. They would want her explore the world, meet all sorts of people, and experience life in all it’s stages. Be they good or bad.

Gabriel smiled softly, “The two were always such free spirits, a Prima Ballerina and a Concert Pianist.”   

“And their daughter and blossoming artist.”

“I still remember the day when we went to visited her in the hospital. Nicholas had his hand in a cast, Amelia was exhausted, but so happy. Nathalia was in her arms, so small and quiet.”

“*Giggle* I remember, Emille was so happy to hold her and you were stone stiff when she put her in your arms. Said it was practice for when Adrien was born.” The two shared a chuckle, “Gabriel I know that Adrien is a model, but will you let him be a child for a little while longer . He won’t have this time again.”

Gabriel was silent for a moment, remembering all the sad looks Adrien had when he wasn’t allowed outside, all the times he wasn’t allowed to have a single friend. Then he thought of all the smiles he had for just going to school, having friends, hanging out with them. “Will you help me?”  

“I promise to keep an eye on him. Nathalia was planning on inviting them over, so they can plan a tour to show Prince Ali Paris.”

Gabriel finally relaxed his shoulders, a relieved smile appeared on his face, “I’ll have Natalie clear his schedule today, and to make changes to future ones.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For art on Nathalia, please visit my tumbler
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tantei-chan01
> 
> search for Miaculous Ladybug in my hashtags


	7. Of First Days and Intros Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know much about the French police system so if there is a mistake, please tell me

It was lunchtime at the school and the trio was looking around for a place to sit. “So Ali, how’re you liking Paris so far?” Adrien asked.

 

“I haven’t seen much of the city from the last time I came, but it is a very beautiful place.”

 

“Don’t worry, Adrien and I will plan a tour of Paris to show you around.” Nathalia smiled at the young prince, Adrien nodding in agreement.

 

“I’m looking forward to it.” He smiled, excitement shined in his eyes.

 

“I’m also planning to show you two  **MY** side of Paris.” Her eyes flashed brightly for a moment, surprising the two boys.

 

“Hey guys,” the three turned around and saw Rose calling out to them, sitting at a round table with the others, “We saved you some seats.”

 

Nathalia smiled at the small blonde, “Thanks, Rose.” The boys watched as she walked towards the table, sharing a look before following. Wondering what she has planned.

 

* * *

 

 

**~She’s cool, she’s hot like the frozen sun,~**

 

**~She’s young and fast, she our only one,~**

 

**~People we’re not bragging, she’s the French Dragon,~**

 

**~She’s going to stop her enemies with her dragon power,~**

 

**~Dragon teeth, dragon tail, burning dragon fire,~**

 

**~A real livewire,~**

 

**~The French Dragon (Dragon up!)~**

 

**~The French Dragon~**

 

**~She’s the French Dragon (Free-fly with the dragon)~**

 

**~Her skills are getting faster~,**

 

**~With Delacour the master,~**

 

**~Her destiny will walk up streets,~**

 

**~Show time baby, for the legacy!~**

 

**~The French Dragon~**

 

**~(Jake and friends: From the N to the A to the T-H-Y! She’s the match-mommy dragon of the Paris sky!)~**

 

**~French Dragon~**

 

**~(Delacour: Nathalia, we have another Akuma!)~**

 

**~French Dragon~**

 

**~(Nathalia: Aww man!)~**

 

* * *

 

 

School ended after a long day, Marinette stretched to release the tension in her shoulders, “It’s finally over.”

 

“Hey Adrien,” she looked towards the door to see Adrien and Nino standing by it, “ You got another modeling job today?”

 

“Not today,” Adrien smiled brightly, “I’m actually heading over to Nathalia’s place.”

 

Marinette's eyes widened in shock, Nino voicing her thought, “Nathalia’s? Why?”

 

“Two reasons, Nathalia’s guardian, Madame Delacour, used to be my father’s teacher. She was the one that convinced him into giving me more free time.”

 

“That’s awesome dude!” Nino exclaimed, lightly punching Adrien’s shoulder. “He must respect her a lot if he listened to her.”

 

Adrien laughed, “You have no idea.”

 

Marinette just stared at the two walked out of the classroom, processing the fact that Madame Delacour was the  **mentor** of Gabriel Agreste. “Hey, Marinette, ready to go?” Alya walked up to her, noticing that the designer was staring off into space, she waved her hand in front of her face, “Helloooo, is anybody in there?”

 

While Alya’s trying to get Marinette’s attention, Ali and Nathalia were waiting in front of the school. “So what will I be learning from your teacher?”

 

Nathalia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and answered with an air of nonchalance, “Oh, just the basics, what the magical world is about, the rules and regulations, and what your role will be in it.”

 

Ali cleared his throat nervously, “I see.”

 

“Hey guys,” Adrien hurried towards them, “sorry for the wait.”

 

“It’s alright.” Ali smiled reassuringly. 

 

Nathalia gave him a quick smile before checking her phone, “Madame has everything set up at the shop, we should hurry and catch the bus.”

 

Ali grabbed her shoulder, “Actually, I’ve arranged for my driver to pick us up.” A loud honking caught their attention, a large black limo pulled up with the Achu flags on the headlights. “There she is.”

 

Nathalia felt her eyebrow twitch, ‘That thing is bigger than Adrien’s’

 

The tinted windows slid down, a dark-skinned woman wearing drivers cap poked out of it, her violet eyes shining happily. “Ready to go, Ali?”

 

Ali looked at the two, “Shall we?” Adrien nodded, unfazed.

 

“R-right.” Nathalia stuttered. The three climbed in, unaware that a certain blonde was watching.

 

* * *

 

 

Delacour hummed as she set the teacups down, these being a very pretty powder blue with pink roses painted on them. “There we are,” she smiled, “Simone, is the tea ready?”

 

“Almost,” Simone answered from the kitchen.

 

The store’s bell rang, Nathalia’s voice echoed from the front, “Madame, we’re here.”

 

“We’re in the living room, hatchling.”

 

The trio walked in, Adrien and Ali gaping at the shop’s interior, she smirked, ‘I’ll never get tired of seeing those expressions.’ “I take it you three had a nice drive?”  

 

“Sure, if by ‘a nice drive’ you mean riding in a limo with a crown prince and a well-renowned model with the entire school watching being nice,” Nathalia replied, face sarcastically blank.

 

Delacour chuckled, ‘Definitely her mother’s daughter.` “Yes, well, why don’t we get this lesson started?”

 

“Ah!” Ali gasped, “I just remembered something,” he reached in his bag and pulled out a red box with a black silk ribbon tied around it, “I have something for you, I was told these were a favorite of yours.”

 

Delacour took the box and gently untied the ribbon. Inside were golden brown cookies shaped like hearts, the sweet smell of cinnamon entered her nose and she could see an abundance of raisins in each one. “Mbatatas!” she smiled brightly, “I haven’t had these in ages, they will go perfectly with today’s tea!”

“The tea’s ready.” 

 

Delacour turned her head, “Perfect timing, Simone”

 

Simone walked in carrying a teapot, it was the same shade of blue but with hummingbirds flying in and out of roses. all couldn't help but stare as she set the tray down on the table. 

 

Adrien leaned next to him and whispered, “Don’t worry, she caught me by surprise too.”  

 

After a few minutes, everyone had a hot cup of tea in front of them, “Now then,” Delacour began, “let’s start at the beginning.”

 

The boys straightened their backs, Nathalia was relaxed, elegantly sipping her tea like usual. “Our world has two sides, the Mortal World where humans and animals reside and the Magical World, where creatures like fairies and elves reside. For many centuries the two existed in harmony until the humans began hunting down us, magical creatures.” 

 

“Do you have any idea why?” Adrien asked.

 

“Unfortunately the reason for that has been lost for centuries, we only know that the group that attacked called themselves the Huntsclan.” Delacour starred at the steam coming out of the cup, seeing a human at arms against an ogre, “Many creatures have tried to stand up to them, but they were either pushed back or…” she sighed forlornly, “ **killed.** The leaders of the of the many magical tribes have decided that they would hide… in plain sight.”

 

“How?” Ali wondered.

 

“That, pup,” Simone began, “is where glamour comes in. All magical creatures have enough magic to hide certain features like unusual skin color, ears, hair. Extra limbs or the lack of them can be hidden by clothes or prosthetics.”

 

Delacour took over, sipping her tea, “It worked for a few decades, but the Huntsclan were relentless, developing methods of tracing any amount of magic. At that moment the creatures began looking for someone that to not only protect them from the Huntsclan but to also keep the peace between the magical creatures as tempers began to flare.”

 

“So they went with a dragon?” Adrien tilted his head, biting into a cookie.

 

“Simple,” Simone took out a small purple book from her floor and opened it to a page with a dragon outline, “Dragons are one of the most powerful creatures in the world. They’re immune to most magical items and have large reserves of magic,” she pointed to a blue area that covered most of the dragon, “but the clincher is that they can take on a completely human form, making it so that they cannot be traced by any method.”

 

The boys gave off a sound of amazement, looking at the red-head in a new light. “It’s been that way ever since.” Delacour pulled out a map of the world, there were green and red dots covering the continents. “This map shows the dragons of the world.”

 

“Woah,” Adrien breathed, “So many. And they all protect the magical world?”

 

“Got it in one, kit.” Simone winked.

 

“What about those red dots?” Ali pointed to the map, “There’s about one on a few countries but there aren’t any on the others.”

 

“Ah, those are World Dragons.” The poodle sipped her tea.

 

“World Dragons?” the two voiced their confusion.

 

Nathalia chuckled, catching the attention of their attention, “A World Dragon is in charge of their country’s entire magical community. To put it simply their the head of national police, or Directeur général de police national.”  

 

“No way!!!!” the two exclaimed as Nathalia continued to sip her tea.

 

“Yes, the World Dragon represents the country, however, the ones higher than us are the Dragon Council.” The older dragon pointed to a special symbol on the map, “They oversee everything in our community, having the power to appoint or remove a dragon from their assignments.”

 

“They also have the power to sway their dragon chi.” Simone turned the page to show a multi-colored orb.

 

Seeing their expressions, Nathalia explained, “Dragon chi is our source of power, if it gets taken away, we can say goodbye to being a dragon.”

 

Adrien dropped his cookie in shock, “That’s why you were worried when I found out. Your powers could have been taken away.”

 

“Thankfully that won't happen.” Delcour smiled reassuringly, “Now before we finish today’s lesson, do either of you have any questions?”

 

Ali raised his hand, “Yes since some of the countries don't have the red dot, does that mean they don’t have a World Dragon?”

 

“Not exactly, there are agents assigned by the council but a requirement for a World Dragon is that they have to be born in the country and have the country’s blood.”

 

“So Achu doesn’t have one because one with our native blood hasn’t been born yet.” Ali theorized.

 

“Correct.”

 

Adrien then raised his hand, “So does that mean Nathalia will one day be in charge of the entire French magical community?”

 

Delacour looked towards the red-head, her eyes misting. She remembered the first time Nathalia’s powers manifested, the blue flame she produced was small, but it was beautiful, powerful and bright. At that moment, she saw the future. “Yes,” her eyes fluttered closed, “and she will be magnificent.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For art on Nathalia, please go to my Tumblr  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tantei-chan01


End file.
